A firm's employee has been hailed a hero after moving a burning trailer to safety when it went up in flames.

As the huge trailer packed with plastic crates caught fire, the man leaped into a lorry cab, then hitched the trailer up and dragged it away from works buildings.

As he did so, two tyres on the trailer exploded in the heat.

The blaze completely wrecked the trailer but firefighters say the damage tonearby buildings could have been far worse had it not been for the heroic actions of the quick-thinking employee, who doesn't wish to be named.

Firefighters from Keighley and Bingley were called to the Manywells Industrial Estate at Cullingworth yesterday afternoon after the trailer, containing empty plastic crates used for transporting chickens and belonging to Bronte Foods, caught fire outside a workshop.

The blaze took firefighters 15 minutes to bring under control but they stayed on site for a further 45 minutes damping down the damaged trailer.

Station Officer Ron Barker said: "They were doing welding repairs on the trailer and some sparks caught fire to something - probably one of the plastic containers or feathers - on the back of the wagon.

"You could see the smoke from Keighley and there were 30ft flames coming out of the wagon.

"If it had stayed where it was the fire could have spread into the workshop and it could have taken the building with it.

"But one of the lads coupled the trailer up to a cab and pulled it away from the building - he was really brave and his actions have to be applauded.

"The heat blew two of the tyres off the side of the wagon and 40 feet across the yard - it was a good job nobody was in the way.

"One of our main jobs was to keep some nearby Calor Gas cylinders cool so they didn't go up.

"Everyone was evacuated from the vicinity and the damage was confined to the trailer.''

Reuben Bebb, who works on the industrial estate, said: "When the tyres exploded it was like bombs going off and they must have fired off at 100mph."

Another witness added: "Everyone in Cullingworth must have heard the tyres exploding.''

Bronte Foods managing director David Shaw praised the garage mechanic who moved the trailer.

He said: "He's a good, loyal employee who did a tremendous job.

"He acted very quickly to deal with the situation and we'll be commending him for what he did.''